Combustor



Oct. 26, 1965 J. E. OMER 3,213,612

COMBUSTOR Filed June a. 1964 United States Patent 3,213,612 COMBUSTOR John E. Omer, 1595 Holton Place, Charleston, S.C. Filed June 3, 1364, Ser. No. 372,289 5 Claims. (Cl. 6tl-39.7)

My invention relates to a gas combustor and more particularly to a simplified, practical gas combustor which eliminates the need for auxiliary equipment such as compressors and pumps.

Virtually all combustors in use today require a compressor and pumps to force the air and fuel to the combustor. This apparatus is bulky and complicated and requires a large capacity installation. The auxiliary equipment required has also prevented the development of fractional horsepower jets for use on model airplanes and cars, or to drive small turbines, jet pumps or provide the high velocity gas required in numerous types of mechanical apparatus.

I have invented a practical combustor which eliminates the need for pumps or compressors and can be manufactured economically in all horsepower ranges including very light fractional horsepower sizes.

My invention lies in part in my realization that it is possible to create a suction or vacuum by utilizing the kinetic energy of a fast moving stream of gas or fluid. This principle has been applied extensively in industry in other applications such as jet pumps, air ejectors, vacuum pumps etc., but never in combustor application.

My invention also lies in part in my realization that it is possible to manufacture a double disc valve which acts as a single unit to simultaneously open one chamber while closing another.

My invention, therefore, has as one principal objective the utilization of these concepts to provide a combustor which, once started, operates without auxiliary compressors and pumps.

Another objective of the invention is to provide a combustor which can be manufactured in extremely small sizes.

Another objective of the invention is to provide a combustor which can be used itself as a prime mover or as as the motive power to supply high velocity fluid to other apparatus such as turbines, jet pumps, ejectors, etc.

Another objective of the invention is to provide a combustor which can utilize fuels such as gasoline or hydrocarbons of the group consisting of propane (C H butane (C H hexane (C H and nonane (C H and ethyl alcohol (C H O) in either liquid or gaseous forms.

Another objective of the invention is to provide a combustor which can be safely started with a small portable bellows or pump, after which no pumping is necessary.

Another objective of the invention is to provide a combustor which cannot flash or burn back into the intake end.

Another objective of the invention is to provide a combustor equipped with rupture discs to prevent pressure rupture of the combustor in the event of malfunction.

Another objective of the invention is to provide a combustor with two combustion chambers which fire alternately.

Another objective of the invention is to provide a combustor with a double disc valve which acts as a single unit to simultaneously close one combustion chamber While opening another.

Another objective is to provide a combustor with an off centering device which ensures that the aforementioned double disc valve is seated in one or the other of its two seating positions and prevents the double disc valve from stopping in mid position where both combustion cham- 3,213,612 Patented Oct. 26, 1965 ice bers would be partially open. Said off centering device is important when starting the combustor to ensure that both combustion chambers are not charged with fuel simultaneously.

Another objective is to provide a combustor with two combustion chambers that discharge into a common nozzle which creates a vacuum drag or reduced pressure in the combustion chamber that is not firing, thus forcing a charge of air and fuel to said combustion chamber.

Another objective is to provide a combustor which can be ignited initially with a glow plug or similar device, after which ignition is continuous from one combustion chamber to the other alternately.

Yet another objective is to provide a combustor which can utilize water injection for cooling and added discharge velocity if desired.

Still further objects and advantages of the present invention will appear from the more detailed description as set forth hereinatfer, it being understood that this description is given by way of illustration and explanation only, and that various changes therein may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

In the drawing, the figure illustrates a cross sectional view of one embodiment of the invention, comprising a hand operated air pump consisting of a handle 1 attached to a plunger rod 2 and piston composed of discs 5, 7 and O-ring 6. Pump casing 3 contains air bleed holes 4 and a check valve 8 oriented as shown on the discharge side of the piston. The pump is connected to the air intake 12 which contains an air passage 11 and clapper valve 10, 111a. The dashed lines and curved arrows 10a illustrate the alternate positions of clapper valve 10 made possible by a hinge pin 9.

The air intake 12 is attached to an intake manifold 13 with a venturi cross section where a carburator 16 connects to the manifold. The carburator is shown schematically and contains an air bleed 18, liquid fuel 19, float valve 17, throttle valve 15, and fuel line 14. This is one embodiment using liquid fuel. Other systems employing fuels in the gaseous form can be used, thus eliminating the need for a carburator as shown. The intake manifold contains right and left (as viewed in FIG. 1) valve seats 20 and flanges for connecting to right and left combustion chambers 34 and 35 respectively. The flanges are secured and made leak tight by high temperature gaskets 21 and flange bolts 22. Flange bolt 22 is typical of all the flange bolts that are required. Remainder of the flange bolts are not shown for the sake of simplicity.

Operating inside the intake manifold is a double disc valve consisting of Valve stem 24 threaded at both ends to receive valve discs 25 and nuts 26. The valve stem slides right and left inside right and left valve guides 23. The valve guides contain holes to allow passage of air fuel mixture to the respective combustion chambers. A fine mesh metallic screen 22 serves as an explosion proof barrier to prevent ignition of the fuel in the intake manifold in the event of any valve 25 leakage. An off centering device 27 through 33 is attached to the valve stem to position the double disc valve in right or left positions only. The off centering device contains a pin 27 which attaches the link 28 to the valve stem. Another pin 29 attaches link 28 to push rod 30. A partially compressed coil spring 33 surrounds the lower end of the push rod and is contained by a spring cap 31 which is secured to the intake manifold by bolts 32. The double disc valve 24 as shown in FIG. 1 is in the right position. When the valve is forced toward the left, link 28 forces push rod 30 to compress spring 33 until the valve is in the middle position where spring compression is maximum. The spring force then tends to force the valve to the left or right position, since the mid position tends to be unstable.

Right and left combustion chambers 34, 35 are connected to an adapter 37 and sealed by high temperature gaskets 36 and flange bolts. Adapter 37 serves to throttle the discharge gas by reducing the size of the passage. Adapter 37 is attached to a common discharge nozzle 39. A glow plug 38 is mounted in the discharge nozzle in way of both passages in adapter 37 Again referring to the drawing, the double disc valve 24 is shown in the right position for purpose of illustration. It can be either in the right or left position to start the combustor. The combustor may be placed in operation as follows:

The glow plug 38 is connected to a suitable power supply and allowed to heat up to its operating temperature. A spark or flame ignition could be utilized in lieu of a glow plug if desired. Throttle valve 15 is opened to allow fuel to center the carburator 16. The hand pump is then operated which causes clapper valve to seat in the 10a position and forces air down into the intake manifold 13 past the carburator opening. The air stream draws fuel along with it from the carburator and the air-fuel mixture continues into the right combustion chamber 34 through open right valve disc 25. The air-fuel mixture continues to fill the right combustion chamber and enters into the right side of adapter 37. The air fuel mixture continues through adapter 37 until the mixture inpinges on the glow plug 38, which causes the mixture to ignite. The ignited mixture quickly creates a high pressure inside combustion chamber 34 and forces right valve disc 25 against right valve seat 20. This causes left valve disc 25 to open simultaneously. The high pressure gaseous combustion products in right combustion chamber 34 are forced at high velocities through the discharge nozzle 39 since right valve disc 25 is shut. The high velocity gas rushing through discharge nozzle 39 from the right side of adapter 37 creates a low pressure inside left combustion chamber 35. This low pressure or suction causes additional air-fuel mixture to be drawn through the now open left valve disc 25. Clapper valve 10a is forced back to its original position 10 by this same action and remains there. Hand pump operation is stopped when right combustion chamber 34 has ignited. The air-fuel mixture continues to fill the left combustion chamber 35 and into the left side of adapter 37.

The air-fuel mixture continues through the left side of adapter 37 until the mixture enters the discharge nozzle 39 where it is ignited by the glow plug 38 or the remaining hot gas from right combustion chamber 34. At moment of ignition of the air fuel mixture in left cornbustion chamber 35, the pressure in right combustion chamber 34 is essentially spent. The ignited mixture now creates a high pressure inside left combustion chamber 35 and forces left valve disc 25 against left valve seat 20. This causes right valve disc 25 to open simultaneously. The high pressure gaseous combustion products in left combustion chamber 35 are now forced at high velocities through the discharge nozzle 39 since left valve disc 25 is now shut. Now the high velocity gas rushing through the discharge nozzle 39 from the left side of adapter 37 creates a low pressure inside right combustion chamber 34. This cycle of alternate ignition from right to left combustion chambers continues at a rapid rate as long as fuel is supplied. Many ignitions occur each second and the result is effectively a continuous stream of discharge gas through the discharge nozzle 39.

Many additions and variations such as nozzle shape, combustion chamber shape and size, Welded connections, safety features, cooling fins, and the like will immediately become apparent to someone skilled in the art. These additions and variations can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

Materials of construction can be any ferrous or non ferrous metals and certain non metals that are suitable for the temperatures and pressures involved.

What is claimed is:

1. A combustor having two adjacent alternately firing combustion chambers, each having an inlet and an outlet, a valve stem concentric with both said inlets, a disc valve mounted on each end of said stem to simultaneously close one inlet while opening the other, an over-center biased toggle attached between said combustor and said valve stem tending to bias the stem toward one inlet or the other, maintaining the closed valve closed and the open valve open, means for introducing fuel to said inlets, means for igniting fuel in said chambers, a discharge nozzle common to both said outlets, said nozzle comprising means to create a vacuum drag effect on the nonfiring chamber, said vacuum drag effect being utilized to force fuel into the non-firing chamber.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein fine wire mesh screens are provided on the manifold side of each valve disc to prevent ignition of fuel in the manifold.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for introducing fuel consists of a throttle valve to control the amount of fuel used.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for ignition consists of a glow plug.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a detachable hand pump is provided to start said apparatus, after which said hand pump can be removed.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 617,753 1/99 Pontois 39.7

FOREIGN PATENTS 711,159 6/54 Great Britain.

MARK NEWMAN, Primary Examiner.

RALPH D. BLAKESLEE, Examiner. 

1. A COMBUSTOR HAVING TWO ADJACENT ALTERNATELY FIRING COMBUSTION CHAMBERS, EACH HAVING AN INLET AND AN OUTLET, A VALVE STEM CONCENTRIC WITH BOTH SAID INLETS, A DISC VALVE MOUNTED ON EACH END OF SAID STEM TO SIMULTANEOUSLY CLOSE ONE INLET WHILE OPENING THE OTHER, AN OVER-CENTER BIASED TOGGLE ATTACHED BETWEEN SAID COMBUSTOR AND SAID VALVE STEM TENDING TO BIAS THE STEM TOWARD ONE INLET OR THE OTHER, MAINTAINING THE CLOSED VALVE CLOSED AND THE OPEN VALVE OPEN, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING FUEL TO SAID INLETS, MEANS FOR IGNITING FUEL IN SAID CHAMBERS, A DISCHARGE NOZZLE COMMON TO BOTH SAID OUTLETS, SAID NOZZLE COMPRISING MEANS TO CREATE A VACUUM DRAG EFFECT ON THE NONFIRING CHAMBER, SAID VACUUM DRAG EFFECT BEING UTILIZED TO FORCE FUEL INTO THE NON-FIRIONG CHAMBER. 